The Athanasian Creed and Trinity

THE FESTIVAL OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY, the pinnacle of the Christian year, is the last major feast and beckons us to stand in awe of our God, Who has unveiled Himself in three magnificent Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity, a Mystery of Faith, is a testament to the profound and unfathomable depth of our God. 

CHRISTIANITY, the sole monotheistic religion, upholds the true God as One, existing in the Three Persons of the Holy and Glorious Trinity.  This is the heart of what Jesus taught when He proclaimed, ‘Behold, the Lord our God is One Lord.’  He did not consider it a usurpation to be equal with God, underscoring the importance and profoundness of the Holy Trinity in our Faith.

Note:  It has become popular to say the Holy Ghost leads the Church into new truths.  That is impossible.  The Holy Ghost can only take the things of Christ and declare them unto us.  He brought Christ’s words to the Apostles’ remembrance while He was with them on earth.  For this reason, we continue with the Apostolic doctrine, which is the body of teachings handed down by the Apostles and recorded in the New Testament.  This doctrine includes the belief in the Holy Trinity, as St. Jude wrote, ‘The Faith once delivered unto the Saints’ (Jude 1: 3). 

There is perfect harmony among the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, which inspires you to admire and awe, which is what is known as Holy Fear.  You have been created by God the Father, Redeemed by God the Son unto eternal life, and strengthened by God the Holy Ghost for victorious Christian living in and through the Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity – The Acorn, St. Ignatius Parish, Riverside, CA

The Creed of Saint Athanasius is an official formulary of The Anglican Catholic Church, having come to us from the Ancient Church and having been received and required to be used three times a year in The Church of England.  Unfortunately, this Creed did not enter the American Prayer Book.  As it has been long appointed to be used on Trinity Sunday, we are using it today in keeping with the ancient practice of the Church.  In so doing, we bind ourselves to the Christians down through the ages who have used this statement in defense of the Catholic Faith.  The Creed was formulated in response to the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ, and was a crucial tool in the Church’s fight against this heresy. Saint Athanasius, the Creed’s author, was a key figure in this battle, spending more time in exile from his diocese than he enjoyed being the Father of God to his people.  The phrase was coined, ‘Athanasius against the world!’  In the end, the Church did come around to accept his position as expressive of the Catholic Faith and reject the heresy put forth by Arius.  This was due, in large part, to the faithfulness of this one man and his small band of followers who stood with him.  They demonstrated that just because everyone believes something to be true doesn’t make it so.  A majority vote does not determine Faith.  They would not compromise, they did not seek to appease, and they would not surrender any of that which Christ had delivered to His Apostles.  The heretics were far and away in the majority, as they expressed the popular opinion of their day.  In the end, St. Athanasius won the victory for Christ as he stood for Him.